Rick Ludwin, NBC's head of late-night programming, says that Jimmy Fallon is on the short list to replace Conan O'Brien when O'Brien replaces Jay Leno in 2009.
This probably isn't great news for Carson Daly, who has made it known he really, really wants the 12:30am gig. But it seems that Ludwin really likes Daly and thinks (as do Tina Fey and others) that Fallon and O'Brien would make for a great late night lineup at the network. Fallon told Howard Stern several months ago that he might get that gig after signing a development deal with NBC.
Another interesting bit of news: some people want The Tonight Show to move back to New York. O'Brien has been house hunting in California, but it's possible the show could originate out of NYC. I don't know about that though. I think an edge that the show has over Letterman is that more Hollywood celebs can do the show in Hollywood.















Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
7-30-2007 @ 3:38PM
Benjy said...
This is old news: Fallon spilled the beans about this several months ago during his last appearance on The Howard Stern Show!
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7-30-2007 @ 3:56PM
Bob Sassone said...
This is not old news. Although this possibility was reported before, we're now getting confirmation from NBC. Also, I included the Stern stuff in my post.
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7-30-2007 @ 3:55PM
paulie said...
Good choice, Carson Daly is a douchebag
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7-30-2007 @ 3:55PM
Scott said...
Nobody wants this. Nobody likes Jimmy Fallon. Please, please, please don't let this happen. He's completely unfunny. If Jon Stewart doesn't want it, give it to Parnell. Otherwise, I will never watch Late Night ever again.
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7-30-2007 @ 3:52PM
Tim Dorr said...
Can I put in a request to have Daly taken out back and shot? The guy is nice and all, but his show is by far the worst thing on late night TV.
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7-30-2007 @ 4:03PM
Sara said...
Boy, for someone who likes Jack Parr, Steve Allen and Johnny Carson, I cannot imagine what you could possibly like about Jimmy Fallon, much less Conan O'Brien. With all due respect, if you cannot stand Jay Leno, perhaps it's time for you to retire or get a forum for old geezers. God, I don't even remember Jack Parr and Steve Allen, thank goodness. Jay Leno was a huge improvement over Johnny Carson. In the end, Carson's only appeal was to retirement home residents who kept him in business when he should have moved on to make way for Jay Leno. And mark my word, when NBC moves O'Brien into the 11:30 p.m. time slot, their ratings will take a sharp nosedive. Make fun of Leno all you want--he has a very loyal following and for good reason--he's hilarious.
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7-30-2007 @ 4:35PM
Lisdog said...
I think he's a great choice to follow Conan. I have never understood the appeal of Daly. He has the worst comic timing I've ever seen.
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7-30-2007 @ 4:11PM
Jim said...
Let me guess: "Sara" is a pseudonym for Helen Kushnick?
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7-30-2007 @ 4:43PM
Porchland said...
Jim: Seriously, I got images of Kathy Bates in "The Late Shift" reading your email.
I do agree with one thing she said -- the ratings will go down if Conan takes over the tonight show. I'm a HUGE Conan fan, but I think he has limited appeal and won't fare as well in the heartland as Least Common Denominator Leno.
Jon Stewart is more accessible. Plus, CBS, ABC and NBC will all be working out their succession plans for late-night before Leno retires. I don't think Letterman will be too far behind Leno, and ABC could very conceivably jump in if the hour is wide-open and they are able to get someone news/comedy-oriented like Jon Stewart.
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7-30-2007 @ 4:56PM
David said...
I'm 21 I HATE Jay Leno's show. His stand up is terrible, the whole layout of the show is bad and the interview is one creepy sex joke after another. At least David Letterman makes fun of his own show.
And Carson Daly needs to be killed. Seriously he should be happy NBC sticks him on TV at all. His show is the worst talk show I have ever seen day or night. i wonder if he will quit in protest over not getting the job.
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7-30-2007 @ 5:23PM
khamel said...
jimmy fallon is the least funny, most annoying person in all of television. he will make the magic hour look like the godfather.
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7-30-2007 @ 5:25PM
Mike said...
Anybody but Fallon. His appeal seems quite limited, as the films he appeared in didn't do well.
Just throwing some names out- John Leguizamo, Vince Vaughn, Ellen DeGeneres, Rachel Ray (just kidding), Anthony Boudrain, Chris Rock, Garry Shandling, Stephen Colbert
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7-30-2007 @ 5:32PM
Ryan said...
Not a fan of Fallon, but I'm definitely NOT a fan of Daly. So if it's between the two, I'd go for Fallon though there MUST be other people who would be better.
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7-30-2007 @ 5:36PM
Bob Sassone said...
Sara: Who are you talking about?
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7-30-2007 @ 5:42PM
David said...
Bob she is talknig to herself I think. We have found someone you can date because she makes you seem smart and sane!
And no to John Leguizamo, god I hate him too.
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7-30-2007 @ 5:48PM
Elise Hines said...
Anything is better than Carson Daly. I've been dying to see Leno get the heck off the air for about a decade and Conan will be a welcome change, but replacing Conan with Daly would just kill the funny. Fallon is a far superior choice to Daly, but they could still do better. I think that Chris Rock would make an excellent late night host because he is really intelligent and in tune with the average person. It would also be a bonus to see some ethnic variety in late night. At this point in his career he may be above it, but it's worth a shot. I don't know how he would cope with all of the restrictions of network tv either.
I'm also in support of bringing the Tonight show to New York. I know it's convenient for the stars that live out there, but bringing the Tonight show to the East coast may allow them to focus on the funny and on real actors and musicians. They might be able to dodge some of the morons (Hiltons, Ritchies, Lohans) and the reality "stars" and give more screen time to real entertainers.
Either way I'll be counting the days until Leno leaves.
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7-30-2007 @ 7:30PM
Taylor said...
Can't NBC test the waters a little bit? Why don't they just put a week of all-new Conans in Leno's time period subbing for Leno repeats. Then, they can get an idea of how much longevity Conan might have in that time period.
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7-30-2007 @ 7:59PM
Sara said...
Hi Bob. I am referring to you and I quote:
"Jay Leno is currently celebrating his 15th anniversary on that late night talk show that I refuse to name because I hate associating the show that Steve Allen, Jack Paar, and Johnny Carson once hosted with Leno."
For years, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno has beat the pants off of both Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel. The only time Letterman will ever enjoy a ratings advantage is when the idiots on NBC turn over the reins to Conan O'Brien in 2009. There are rumours, by the way, that Leno is in talks with Fox. He may be off NBC in 2009, but he will not be gone.
I just cannot believe that a contemporary writer would compare Jay Leno to dinosaurs like Parr, Allen and Carson. I mean no ill will towards you--I am just at a total loss to understand why anyone, other than my parents perhaps, would bring up those geezers and compare them to some one as talented as Jay Leno.
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7-30-2007 @ 7:59PM
jaerisk said...
but i don't like Jimmy Fallon....sup wit' dat yo?
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7-30-2007 @ 8:01PM
Bob Sassone said...
Sara: In your original post you made it sound like I was pushing for Jimmy Fallon to take the job. I never said anything like that.
And as for me thinking that Jack Parr, Steve Allen, and Johnny Carson were more talented than Jay Leno, oh yes yes yes I am guilty as charged. Sorry if that doesn't make me, um, "contemporary."
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